Taking My Own Advice
Taking My Own Advice
Finally, I get a taste of my own medicine. It tastes pretty good.
I try not to just wear the same 5 items on rotation every week, tempting though it may be for my terminally exhausted and terminally uncomfortable self. I write a fashion blog, for god sakes (you’re reading it right now, in fact) and I strive to always dress in a way that makes me feel like I’m representing the kind of style writer/dresser I want to be.
Though much of my writing is focused around fictionalized outfits that I could not, in my wildest dreams, afford (and the “thrift stores” in Buenos Aires are… lacking), I do try to take my own advice when I’m able to, improvising to fill in the gaps of my wardrobe. Below are five examples of such adaptations of a handful of my blog and Patreon posts, with citations! The organization is kind of wild, but just keep going, you’ll get it.
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Misc. Desires
(Re: tee) I’m feeling a very scrunchy vibe these days.
(Also re: tee) I got this heavily discounted on Black Friday. It’s easy to wear, unique, and rides the line between festive and casual with ease. I would recommend messaging the company on Instagram about the shirt they choose to upcycle for you, lest you receive something you can’t in good conscience wear.
From Bonus #2 12/22 on Patreon
(Re: bag) Red and black feels like a very current and invigorating color combo, and this bag looks big enough to actually fit my essentials (well, most of them).
(Re: jeans) I saw these on Etsy and fell in love. Yes, it’s stolen valor, but it feels exciting to help these pants continue their long, wending life.
From Bonus #2 12/22 on Patreon
This is the outfit I’m actually wearing today! I love the fact that the top is as easy as a normal tee but instantly makes me look 1000x more intentional with my lazy outfit, there will be more on my newfound and shocking penchant for stolen valor jeans coming in a future post, the bag looks amazing but is way too heavy for a daily tote, and the shoes are my amazing olive tabi sneakers but don’t photograph well. Ugh, I hate my phone camera.
IDs:
Thick Chain – Same as above
Scrunchie Tee – $112
Sashiko Jeans – Vintage, from Etsy
Tote – Sold out in this colorway, available in two others starting at $166 (Sale)
Tabi Sneakers – $281 (Sale) (Mine have Dr. Scholl’s insoles in them cut to fit the tabi toes)
Only Yesterday
Only Yesterday (1991), a criminally underrated Ghibli film, features the character Taeko Okajima as a weltschmerz-laden 27-year-old with very little drip, nostalgic for her childhood, when she did. A red-and-white varsity-style jacket or cardigan + a more tomato-red pleated skirt are the base for some childlike but sophisticated color play with her accessories: lilac socks layered over black tights and under shiny red Mary Janes…
From How To Dress Like a Studio Ghibli Character: Whisper of the Heart and Only Yesterday Edition
My favorite part of this look is the red shoes/purple socks/black tights combo. I wish I had a tomato-red skirt, as the only pleated ones I own didn’t really serve this look, but I tried! I used chainmail clips instead of the flower hairpins Taeko favors, and I’m proud to say that I found the jacket at a vintage faire in BSAS for the equivalent of like $10 USD.
IDs:
The Slayer Clip – 1 for $15, 2 for $25
Jacket – Vintage
Skirt – Vintage
Tights – No clue, I’ve just had them forever
Socks – $24 (Would not recommend, these were sent to me by accident, would instead rec these cuties for cheaper)
Loafers – Out of stock (would also not recommend for anyone with skinny heels like mine, they slip out… any ideas to remedy this besides thick socks and heel pads [tried these already]?)
FRUiTS Magazine
I didn’t copy anything exactly from this post, more just emulated the general vibes of the ultrafashionable subjects of the late magazine. I did layer socks over tights, as I suggested in the piece, and wore the shoes I used in one of the outfits I created, but I’m most happy with the necklace I wanted to break up the expanse of staid red vest, but it wouldn’t hang low enough, so I clipped it to the straps of my bunny bonnet.
IDs:
Bunny Hat – Not available
Necklace (Similar here for a steal because it’s marked for “kids” but might be even cuter than mine—see below) – $104 (Sale)
Shirt, vest, dress worn as skirt, tights – Vintage
Socks – Sold out, were part of this collection
Instapump Fury Sneakers – $109+ at the moment
Sports Merch
A sportsy jersey (or perhaps a sweatshirt in an unexpected color?) with staid but chic bottoms. This look begs for a classy belt. Loafers are perfect, and I think this look could work with either a cropped leg and elegant socks, as below, or a gently puddling trouser with loafers peeking out. The striped, structured collar and sleeves help the shirt to look less incongruous with the fancy bottoms. I like that this person is just carrying a water bottle, though that couldn’t be me as I need basically an entire cabinet of supplies to sit through a sports game. A watch, glasses, or simple but funky earrings would do this look justice without sullying its appealing simplicity.
This was a fairly straightforward translation of the original look! You can’t tell, because my camera sucks, but my loafers are brown, not black, to match the belt and soften the look.
IDs:
Jersey – Not to brag, but my partner got me an official Messi jersey from Adidas (a lot cheaper in BSAS than in the US)
Belt – Vintage
Socks – $27 for a 3-pack (worth it for the quality).
Loafers – Tod’s via TheRealReal
Trend Report
(Re: chains) I tend towards chains that are silver, on the thicker/sturdier side, hit around the clavicle, and have links that lay in an interesting or graceful way (this last feature being the most important, some chain link designs stick up awkwardly or won’t lie flat around the neck). I like mixed metals, interesting closures, varying link sizes/styles, and intertwined or tangential chains.
(Re: pants) In the mid-2010s, the cropped straight-legged pants norm was a godsend, as I could finally buy pants from pretty much any store without having to fuck with getting them altered. Now that the pendulum has swung the other way, as is its wont, I am reckoning with Big Pants again but with a more optimistic attitude. The thing is–”flattering” is not even in the top 5 of my considerations when it comes to most garments. Off the top of my head, more important qualities to me than “flattering” in a piece include: utilitarian, interesting, modular, comfortable, and exciting. Since I am not in middle school and my sense of style is not predicated upon looking as normatively Good as possible, this time around I have been able to appreciate the Big Pant for its inspiring qualities: they add movement to an outfit, they can drape in interesting ways, the scrunchy hem can be, if styled with a good eye, a feature instead of a bug.
(Re: tank) As someone who has dysphoria and plans to get top surgery in the near future, cut-outs sometimes emphasize the feminine-coded facets of my body in a way I don’t like. However, when used in a garment that could be defined as “casual wear” or “masculine,” or when placed in nontraditional locations (i.e. inner thighs, ankles, under the chest) sometimes cut-outs can add levity and unabashed sexiness to a look. They are usually modeled only on skinny body types and shown only when the body is ramrod-straight, but I LOVE the look of skin folding and protruding through cut-outs. The indie brand UNITS is genius at this.
From Quarter-life Crisis Trend Report
(Re: cap) The name of this company drives me crazy, the word “beepy” doesn’t sit well in my brain for some reason, and a lot of their merch is in an aesthetic category I don’t see myself in (“kidcore,” I guess), but this hat enchanted me with its fuzzy plushness and perfect color scheme. I got it for like $30 on Black Friday sale.
(Re: shoes) These are children’s shoes that you can acquire for under $30 if you wear a “women’s” size 8-ish or below. They have discontinued this Yellow Wallpaper-worthy colorway, so hurry and snap them up, ye of small feet. They are comfy, a size 6 kids’ fit me, a size 6, perfectly, and they cost less than 1/10 of their Gucci competitors.
From Bonus #2 12/22 on Patreon
I love this look! These pants make me happy (I have to get them wayyyy hemmed, I had to tuck them for the photo, but they are extremely comfortable and sit perfectly on my hips), the top is like the only “sexy” article of clothing I own, the shoes and cap are as close to “kidcore” as I can stomach but I love them, and the chains are some of the only things I wear near-daily.
IDs:
Cap – $70 (Sale) (Sorry, not as good as the sale I got it on)
Thick Chain – $22.32
Thinner Chains – Sold out, but Justine Clenquet (who made mine) makes similar multi-strand chains all the time for great prices
Slight Tank – $125
Cargo Pants – Available in a few sizes starting at $221 here
Water Shoes – $29 (Super Sale, not being remade)
Well, I hope you enjoyed this #proof that I can stand the taste of my own medicine! And that you are tantalized at the prospect of supporting the HR Patreon for the lowdown you’ve been missing!
See you on the flip side, dorks.
<3 HR